Highest ever numbers of organ donors and recipients from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities last year, but more still needed

More black, Asian, mixed race and minority ethnic people are donating organs than ever before, but too many donation opportunities are being missed because families are not discussing the subject and making their decisions clear, according to NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT).

New figures show 121 black, Asian, mixed race and minority ethnic people donated their organs after they died last year, the highest number to date. This is an increase of 51 percent in the last five years.

But there is still a big difference between the numbers of black, Asian and minority ethnic donors and those patients in need of a lifesaving transplant.
Not knowing if their relative wanted to be an organ donor is one of the most common reasons for refusal, leading to 130 black, Asian and minority ethnic
families to say no to donation over the last five years, according to NHSBT statistics.